Andrew Danso

f i n d

Self-Released

Rating: 4/5

I have a slightly dumb-sounding question to put to you – what would you get if you took Steve Vai's Fire Garden and invited ambient remixes? Well, not Andrew Danso, but I think that's a reasonable jumping off point. Throughout f i n d you get the impression that there's a veritable torrent of playing ability dammed back for the sake of aesthetic effect, whether it's the pleasant trip-hop of opener 'Go Again' or the '80s R.E.M.-lite 'Walk Walk Sunshine'. 

'Liar MD' has some of The Three EPs about it, while 'Rain, Go' is more of a Porcupine Tree sketch;  it's worth mentioning at this juncture though that due to the general brevity of the tracks on this album there's a lot of scope for Andrew Danso to experiment around with style and influences. In doing so, he creates a rich tapestry of sounds that on balance are actually best enjoyed without the tracklisting, without clicking over to your iTunes, without monitoring the progress of the record. 

Ultimately it's probably best described as new age progressive in the mould of the great Mike Oldfield, nevertheless f i n d's expansive sonic landscape prevents it from being a one-trick pony. Experimental yet fluid, engaging and accessible, this highly melodic work is a must for all 'progressive' fans.

Dean McPhee

Brown Bear

Hood Faire

Rating: 4/5

Soon to be released on CD, this collection of tracks from virtuosic solo guitarist Dean McPhee builds upon his Chapters Split 7" ('Water Burial'), offering three new cuts, 'Sky Burial', 'Stony Ground' and 'Brown Bear'. It's much of the same really, both in terms of content and quality, which can only be a good thing. Recently I stylistically compared James Blackshaw's opus All is Falling to Dean's style, but for my money Dean's the more interesting player; for sure, Blackshaw has more layers to his compositions, but then he's working with other instruments and players.

McPhee's strength on the other hand is in simplicity and being able to carry the pieces on just his guitar work alone; moreover, both are quite different propositions musically, even if I have been spending far too much of this review comparing the two. Dean's playing is more indebted to classical guitar figures, filtered through some traces of the blues and obviously the given modern inflection that an obsession with tube amps and high-end effects will lend. If you sit still and pay careful attention, the myriad twists and turns will keep you engaged, but equally it's also great music to chill out to. Employ as you see fit.